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Monthly Archives: February 2013

Who’s ready for March 31st?? This one goes out to all my GOT fans. Whether you have read the books, watch the show, or both…you are sure to enjoy this. I have to say that my husband was the one who started reading the books and then got me into the show when it came out. Now I am currently reading the books as well. Heck, we love GOT so much that we named our puppy Khaleesi! Haha! I have yet to try any of these recipes but I just had to share. I know my husband will get a kick out of these.

Here’s the link to some of the great recipes shown below: http://www.buzzfeed.com/seancurry1/game-of-thrones-recipes

Breakfast at Winterfell“There was much more than she’d asked for: hot bread, butter and honey and blackberry preserves, a rasher of bacon and a soft-boiled egg, a wedge of cheese, a pot of mint tea. And with came Maester Luwin.” -A Game of Thrones

Beef and Barley Stew“‘Maybe they don’t have sheep and cattle,’ Bran thought. He commanded the serving men to bring them mutton chops and a slice off the aurochs and fill their trenchers with beef-and-barley stew. They seemed to like that well…” -A Clash of Kings

Bread and Salt“…[Once] a maiden girl could walk the kingsroad in her name-day gown and still go unmolested, and travelers could find fire, bread, and salt at many an inn and holdfast.”

Dothraki Blood Pie“Food was brought to her, steaming joints of meat and thick black sausages and Dothraki blood pies, and later fruits and sweetgrass stews and delicate pastries from the kitchens of Pentos…” -A Game of Thrones

Honeyed Chicken“‘Hungry again?’ he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence.” -A Game of Thrones

Greens Dressed with Apples and Pinenuts“Cersei set a tasty table, that could not be denied. They started with a creamy chestnut soup, crusty hot bread, and greens dressed with apples and pine nuts.” -A Clash of Kings

Strawberries and Sweetgrass“Tables and benches had been raised outside the pavilions, piled high with sweetgrass and strawberries and fresh-baked bread.” -A Game of Thrones

Wildling Cider“Before Mance, Varamyr Sixskins had been a lord of sorts. He lived alone in a hall of moss and mud and hewn logs that had once been Haggon’s, attended by his beasts. A dozen villages did him homage in bread and salt and cider, offering him fruit from their orchards and vegetables from their gardens.” -A Dance with Dragons

Sorry it’s been a while everybody. My parents came and visited for two weeks and we had a great time. We adventured all over San Diego and ate out at a lot of really good places. I love going out and finding local, hidden gems as opposed to the big food chain restaurants . It was a blast! Now they are gone, visiting more family in LA so my puppy and I are back to the daily grind. While we ate out a lot, we actually did do some cooking at home. This recipe was easy (crockpot duh!) and really tasty!

My parents are coming from out of state to visit me! I’m very excited to have them here. It’s always nice to have visitors come over and keep me busy since Tyler is away. I’m not sure how much cooking I will be doing with them so I wanted to post this before things get too busy.

First of all, crockpot recipes are the best things ever. Crockpots in general are one of the best cooking inventions of all time. What is easier than cooking in a crockpot? Not to mention how tender it cooks meat. Yummmm. Moral of the story is, if you don’t have a crockpot I highly suggest you invest in one. Totally worth it. This recipe is a soup…and you know me…I like soups because I can freeze them!! Make sure you prepare this meal in advance because it does require 3-4 hours of cooking time 🙂

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and ½ cup milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and chicken broth mixture . Gradually whisk in remaining milk until smooth. Set aside.

In a crockpot, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, remove chicken and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back into the soup, mix together. Top with cheese and serve. I also topped mine with crushed tortilla chips. You can also choose to add avocados and sour cream as well!

I love spicy foods but I know not everyone else does. This dish however can be made to tone down the spice if you just can’t handle the heat 😉 This recipe is from the menu at Buca Di Beppo, a fantastic Italian restaurant. This pasta dish in particular is spicy, creamy and oh sooo good! It got a lot of excellent reviews from others who have tried it as well…and the leftovers are just as delicious!

Ingredients:

6 oz chicken, sliced (I chopped my chicken just because I like it better that way)

3/4 cup. Marinara sauce

1/2 cup Alfredo sauce

2 tsp butter

1/4 cup peas (I tripled the peas)

1 lb Rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package directions (I had some extra Penne pasta on hand so I used that instead)

additional 1/2 t crushed red pepper (for garnish)

NOTE: Instead of buying alfredo and marinara sauce separately, Bertolli makes a Parm Rosa sauce you can use instead. Use 1 1/2 cups of it when the recipe tells you to add the marinara and alfredo sauces

Instructions:

In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper and garlic and sauté just long enough for garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor into the oil. Add sliced chicken and sauté briefly to coat in spices and garlic.

Add Marinara Sauce first and then Alfredo Sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens slightly and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°. Turn off flame, add butter and peas and incorporate into sauce.

Drop cooked pasta in boiling water for 3 seconds. Let drain for 15 seconds. Toss with the sauce. Place pasta and sauce in pasta bowl, reserving the majority of the chicken to be placed on top of the pasta. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any remaining sauce from the pan to the pasta. Garnish with crushed red pepper and serve.

I never thought Salmon Burgers was a good idea…until I tried one. Then I sort of became obsessed! This recipe makes a tasty, perfectly seasoned burger with a crunch! The recipe calls for a single fillet (which makes 2 burger patties). However, the store sells 2 fillets in one package so I froze the second fillet to save for some Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad later!

SESAME SALMON BURGER WITH DILL YOGURT SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) salmon fillet, skinned and chopped

2 TBSP minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 TBSP finely grated fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic, divided

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided

1 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 TBSP olive oil

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 TBSP finely chopped fresh dill

Instructions:

Combine salmon, parsley, panko, 1 tsp lemon juice, ginger, 1 tsp garlic, soy sauce, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Form into two patties. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Stir together yogurt, dill, remaining 1/2 tsp garlic, and remaining 1 tsp lemon juice in a small bowl. Serve burgers on whole wheat buns, topped with the creamy yogurt sauce.

I can’t believe it’s already February! That means it is just about time for the Super Bowl! The day that my Seahawks went to Super Bowl XL in 2006 was when Tyler and I officially became a couple, so this time of year harbors a lot of good memories. Even though he won’t be here for this Super Bowl, I will be keeping the tradition of getting together with good friends, eating good food while watching some good football. I will be making these tasty little morsels for the party on Sunday. The recipe calls for you to make your own pizza dough but I bought mine pre-made just to make my life a little easier. Served with some ranch for dipping and I think these will be a sure hit!

To make the buffalo chicken mixture: Combine the chicken, cheese, hot sauce and butter in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. The mixture may seem too wet, but the chicken will absorb some of the sauce.

To make the dough: Combine the warm milk and brown sugar in a measuring cup, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the flour, yeast and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low briefly just to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually pour the milk/sugar mixture into the mixer and beat until a rough dough forms. Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic. You want the dough to clear the sides of the bowl as it kneads – if it’s not, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it does. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a ball. Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and add the ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. You can tell if the dough has doubled by sticking your finger in and making an impression. If the impression remains, you are ready to move on, but if it springs back, the dough hasn’t risen enough.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a 12-inch rope. Use your fingers to flatten the dough into a rectangular shape, then use a rolling pin to roll to a roughly 12×4-inch rectangle. Add 1/4 of the buffalo chicken mixture to the lower third of the rectangle (make sure to leave a border along the bottom).

Stretch the bottom edge of the dough up and over the filling, pressing to seal. Starting at the bottom, roll up the dough as tightly as possible. Cut the log into 12 even pieces and transfer them to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough and chicken mixture.

Let the bites rise at room temperature (uncovered) for about 20-30 minutes – the dough will rise slightly. Bake the bites for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack , and if desired, brush the tops with melted butter before serving.

(Note: You can make the bites a few hours ahead of time. Just reheat them in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes when you’re ready to serve.)